The Legend of White Paper
Wang DingjunJiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House2014
Rating 2.4- Chapters
- 1
- Series
- Reading Wang Dingjun's Essays: Seasoned but Never Slick
- ISBN
- 9787539973197
Tags
Literature Essays and Miscellany Chinese LiteratureSocial ObservationHumanistic CareLife PhilosophyLife EssaysProseEssay CollectionLiterary CriticismSummary
The Legend of White Paper is a collection of essays by the contemporary Chinese-language writer Wang Dingjun, gathering five volumes of work written in different periods: "The Long River of Life," "Sharing Time," "Notes Before It Is Too Late," "Figures at the Desk," and "Responses to Arts and Letters," plus two pieces outside the volumes and one special feature. Spanning more than half a century, the subjects range from boyhood memories of his native Shandong, the road of exile along the Han River and the Qinling Mountains, and the choice to leave his homeland, to family life, marital companionship, and reflections on raising children after settling overseas, and further to appraisals of writers and articles and worries about social reality. The title piece, "The Legend of White Paper," uses "white paper" as a metaphor, starting from a sheet's blankness and possibility to write about the purity of life, the turns of fate, and the weight of memory; "The Han River, Heaven Gave Me a Road," "Watching Mountains in the Qinling," and "How I Left China" look back on the years of the War of Resistance and the civil war with a calm and restrained touch. The volume "Figures at the Desk" records Eileen Chang, Yao Qingzhang, and others, along with old friends and artistic and literary exchanges; "Responses to Arts and Letters" discusses writing methods, reading reflections, and literary change. The book ranges freely across genres, juxtaposing fables, diaries, fragments, and criticism in refined language; it is a selection for understanding Wang Dingjun's essays and one of his essay collections published in mainland China after he announced his retirement from writing.Editor's review
读王鼎钧的散文，最直接的感受是“老练而不油滑”。他活了近一个世纪，经历过抗战、内战、渡海、移民，笔下却少有疾呼与控诉，多是把一件旧事摊开，慢慢地看它的纹理。这本书里的五卷文字，恰好拼出一个人的几个侧面：少年时在故乡看人看事，青年时在流亡路上看山看水，中年后在异国看儿女看朋友，老年后回头看文章与时代。同名的《白纸的传奇》是全书的题眼，一张白纸既是空无也是可能，清白之轻与命运之重被写得干净利落。书中谈张爱玲、谈杰克·伦敦、谈阿加莎·克里斯蒂，都不是庸常的读后感，而是行家识行家的路数；《长文分解法》《短稿大家写》这类篇章，对写作者尤其有用。王鼎钧的句子短、留白多，读得快会漏掉意思，读得慢才见功夫。对习惯了浓墨重彩抒情散文的读者，这本会是一次口味的校正：汉语散文原来可以这样克制、这样有筋骨。Who it's for
A good fit for
- 喜欢华语散文、想读一位老作家晚年自选文字的读者
- 对二十世纪中国流亡经验与海外华人生活感兴趣的读者
- 想学写作、想读作家谈作家与技法的写作者
- 偏好短章、随读随停、不耐长文的通勤读者
Not a good fit for
- 期待连贯长篇叙事或完整自传的读者
- 偏爱浓烈抒情与强情节小说的读者
- 希望一次读完就获得明确结论的知识类读者
Reading tips
- 不必从头读到尾，可按五卷顺序读，也可先读同名篇《白纸的传奇》把握全书基调。
- 《案头人物》《艺文感应》两卷适合有阅读积累后再读，能读出更多行家谈艺的意味。
- 遇到短句与留白处放慢速度，王鼎钧的意思常藏在句与句的空隙里。
- 读完可回看黄梵的推荐序与单正平的代序，两者提供了理解其散文脉络的两条线索。
About the publisher
Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on literary publishing while also covering the humanities, social sciences, and books on art and daily life. Its approximately 1,535 titles in the database span social novels, world history, design, science fiction, classic works, and film and television: they include modern Chinese literary classics by Lu Xun such as A Madman's Diary: The Complete Short Stories of Lu Xun, Call to Arms, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, as well as foreign literary memoirs like Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. In science fiction it offers Asimov's Galactic Empire series, while in architecture and art it publishes Liu Dunzhen's Classical Gardens of Suzhou and design titles from Phoenix Space. Its authors are concentrated among classic writers such as Lu Xun, Zweig, and Asimov, with translators including Liang Xijiang, Zhong Haonan, and Ye Lihua. Its overall character is built on classic works while embracing genre fiction and visual culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles in the database.
Contents
- Walrus Essays
FAQ
这本书是整套“海象文丛”，还是其中单本？
这是单本散文集，不是整套丛书。它属于江苏文艺出版社“海象文丛”（部分资料也归入“海外名家散文丛书”），丛书中另一册是《带翼的种子·怀念》。本书本身已是五卷散文的合集，无需另购其他分册。《白纸的传奇》和《王鼎钧回忆录》是什么关系？
两者不是同一部书。回忆录四部曲是王鼎钧记述自身经历的长篇回忆，而本书是五卷散文结集，题材涵盖回忆、家事、人物与文艺评论。书末特载席慕蓉《系斜阳缆》一文，专门讨论其回忆录中的百年场景。没读过王鼎钧的作品，可以从这本开始吗？
可以。本书横跨其创作生涯数十年，篇幅多为短章，各卷主题独立，是较为友好的入门选本。若更想读完整的人生脉络，可再读其回忆录四部曲。书中黄梵的推荐序和单正平的代序重要吗？
建议先读或最后回读。黄梵的序交代本书编选背景与王鼎钧其人其文，单正平的代序则从散文史角度作比较，为理解本书五卷的编排逻辑与文体特点提供了框架。This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Wang Dingjun Author · Taiwan, China · 1925Wang Dingjun, born in 1925 in Lanling, Linyi, Shandong, is a contemporary Taiwanese essayist who also writes under the pen name Fang Yizhi. He joined the military in the final years of the War of Resistance, moved to Taiwan in 1949, and later served as a review chief at the Broadcasting Corporation of China and as editor of the literary supplement of China Times before settling in the United States in 1978. Twenty-two of his works are included in this collection. He is best known for his four-volume memoir, comprising Yesterday's Clouds, The Angry Youth, Seizing the Pass, and Literary Jianghu, as well as the "Three Books on Life." He has also written widely used guides to composition, including Six Keys to Writing, Nineteen Questions on Writing, Seven Clever Techniques for Writing, Four Books on Writing, and Talks on Primary School Composition. His essays span documentary writing and inspirational growth, marked by plain, polished prose that draws life lessons from everyday experience, while his writing guides are clearly organized and richly exemplified, exerting wide influence in language education and literary appreciation. He has received the Golden Tripod Award and the Wu Luqin Essay Award.